Safeguarding Policy

1. Our Commitment

Iman British Online School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people in our care. We believe that every child deserves to learn in a safe, respectful and nurturing environment — including online.

This policy applies to all staff, teachers, volunteers and contractors associated with the school, regardless of their role or location. It applies to all online interactions between school staff, teachers and students, including live lessons, recorded sessions, Google Classroom, email and any other digital communication.

2. Legislation & Guidance

This policy is written in accordance with:

• ✦Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2024
• ✦Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023
• ✦The Children Act 1989 and 2004
• ✦The Education Act 2002
• ✦UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
• ✦Online Safety Act 2023

3. Staff Vetting & DBS Checks

All teaching staff and adults with regular contact with students are required to hold an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check before they may teach or interact with students. We maintain a Single Central Record of all vetting checks.

No member of staff may teach or work with students until their DBS check has been satisfactorily completed and reviewed by the DSL.

4. Online Safety

Live Lessons

• ✦All live lessons are conducted via Google Meet on the school's official Google Workspace
• ✦Lessons are recorded — recordings are accessible to the student and their parent/guardian only
• ✦Teachers must not conduct one-to-one private video calls with students outside of timetabled lessons
• ✦Students should attend lessons from a shared family space where possible
• ✦Cameras and microphones may be used during lessons; parents consent to this at enrolment

Communication

• ✦All communication between teachers and students must take place through official school channels (Google Classroom, school email)
• ✦Teachers must not contact students via personal email, social media or personal phone numbers
• ✦Parent/guardian contact is always copied in or available on communications with students
• ✦Any concerning messages received by staff must be reported to the DSL immediately

Student Conduct Online

• ✦Students are expected to behave respectfully towards teachers and fellow students at all times
• ✦Sharing of personal information, photos or contact details with other students is discouraged
• ✦Any bullying, harassment or inappropriate behaviour will be treated with the same seriousness as in a physical school
• ✦Students who breach the school's conduct policy may be suspended or removed from lessons pending investigation

5. Recognising & Reporting Concerns

All staff are trained to recognise the signs of abuse, neglect, exploitation and radicalisation. If any member of staff has a concern about a child's welfare, they must:

If a member of staff believes a child is in immediate danger, they must contact emergency services (999) without waiting to speak to the DSL.

6. Reporting a Concern as a Parent

If you have a concern about your child's welfare, or a concern about another student or a member of staff at Iman British Online School, please contact our DSL immediately:

If your concern is about the DSL themselves, or you are not satisfied with how your concern has been handled, you may contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email [email protected].

7. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually and updated whenever there are changes to relevant legislation or guidance. The current version is always published on this page.